Thread: Antique Top I Bought at an Auction

Originally Posted by jaciqltznok

I love it! All those fabrics..what a collection!
Just remember once you put a single stitch into this as a quilt or "fixed" top, it is no longer vintage, but NEW.
You might also find that the bright red sashing is also not original to the era of the blocks. Often times the blocks would be passed down, someone would add the sashing and still NO quilt.
In any case, the mistakes are wonderful, I would leave them alone!

That could be true, Jacquie! The sashing is the one thing that doesn't seem to "fit". And whoever assembled the blocks with the sashing didn't do a great job-- didn't square up the blocks and also left them with similar blocks grouped together. If I decide to sell the top later, I won't change a thing. But if I decide to keep it and quilt it (which is more likely) then I will correct the piecing and perhaps even change the bright red sashing.

For me the appeal was the wonderful collection of fabrics. They are in great shape, but are much thinner than modern fabrics. It makes me wonder if they might have been hankerchiefs or something... Or maybe the fabric was just made thinner back then. This looks like a collection of fabric from the 1940's to me... Like some old aprons I have that were my mom's.

I wouldn't change them either. Great find.

Originally Posted by Halo

It was believed back then that you always put a flaw in a quilt. It would stop the Devil from fallowing the pattern , at night, to get to you. If the pattern was perfect, he could attack you while you slept. Therefor they always had a break in the pattern. For that reason, I would leave it as is. It is part of the history of that time. It is beautiful by the way.

I'm not superstitious!!